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1967 Referendum In Australia

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I believe one of the most significant referendums in Australia that was carried, is the 1967 Referendum to include Aboriginal people within Section 51 and 127 of the Constitution. Prior to the 1st of January 1901, the Australian Constitution took effect and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Under the laws of the Australian Government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were not included as citizens. Instead they were treated as foreigners in their own land.On the 27th of May 1967, a Federal referendum was held to determine whether two references in the Australian Constitution, which discriminated against Aboriginal people, should be altered or entirely removed. At the time of the referendum, Harold Holt was the Prime Minister …show more content…

With a 90.77 per cent voting for change, the referendum saw the highest “YES” vote ever recorded in a Federal referendum. The Constitution was changed, giving formal effect to the referendum result, by the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) 1967 (Act No 55 of 1967), which received assent on 10 August 1967; allowing for Aboriginal people to obtain equal rights. Before 1967, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples did not have the equal rights as other Australians under the Australian …show more content…

The introduction of ‘affirmative action’. Affirmative Action is a way to directly redress the disadvantage that groups of people have experienced in the past. W.C. Wentworth, the Aboriginal Affairs Minister, started programs designed to specifically address the unique needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, such as improvements in healthcare. 2. The enactment of a number of important pieces of legislation, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (QLD) Act 1975; the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976; the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976; the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991; and, in response to the land rights cases of the 1990s, the Native Title Act 1993. 3. The gradual development of a new administrative and practical definition of ‘Aboriginality’. This definition was based on community and self-identification, not just a person’s DNA or

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He wanted them to remember this when voting. The failure of the referendum allowed Reid to make further changes to the Constitution so that it would be more favourable for New South Wales. For example, he made the other premiers and people in the federation movement agree that the nation's capital would be in his state. This is why the Australian Capital Territory, where Canberra is situated, sits within New South Wales' borders.

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501 Words | 3 Pages

Later on, he worked with Gerorge Huston who was a premier and tried to persuade the NSW voters to establish the federation. Therefore, the second referendum was carried out from April to July in 1899 and was accepted by South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and NSW . Queensland elected for the first time on 2 September and accepted the

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The Mabo Decision was a turning point for the recognition of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. From recognising ownership of traditional lands to raising awareness of racial discrimination, it affected the Indigenous Australian society in various ways. Firstly, the Mabo Decision was significant because it acknowledged the ownership of traditional lands by abolishing “terra nullius”, meaning that the land is empty and owned by no one. Previously, the British denied the Indigenous Australians' connection and ownership of the land by declaring that Australia was "terra nullius". However, on the 3rd of June, 1992, the High Court decided that the Merriam people were "entitled as against the whole word to possession, occupation

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this event has the support of the liberal and labour parties as well as the prime minister Whitlam who had helped approved the land rights act, this was also a step into having trust between both parties. After Prime Minister Whitlam was put into power, he promised to push for Aboriginal land rights, the Australian government bought privately owned land to give back to the Aboriginals since the act had been introduced, and almost 50% of the northern territory was returned to the ATSI people. The year 1975 marked a great historical year in Australia as it was the year the Prime minister poured soil into indigenous Australians' hands to symbolise their victory in claiming Australia as their

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962 Words | 4 Pages

The 1967 Referendum marked a momentous victory for the indigenous people of Australia and their bid for civil rights. This digital exhibition explores the causes and effects of the referendum. Images and documents in the causes gallery focus on the factors that led to the referendum whilst the effects gallery centres on its consequences. Causes The sources exhibited in the Causes gallery range from strategies, to key figures to provide a detailed picture of the factors that led to the 1967 Referendum.

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801 Words | 4 Pages

Australia had signed up to the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1966, but the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 was the first time that anti-discrimination legislation was laid down in the Federal parliament. The legislation meant that any previous discriminatory laws were automatically overturned and that that no restrictions, exclusions or distinctions could be made in Australian society on the basis of race, colour, nationality or descent. Whitlam saw it as a victory over bigotry and prejudice, and not just solely aimed at improving the lives of the Indigenous peoples. Many people also saw the events of 1975 as another milestone on the road towards equality for the Aboriginal

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370 Words | 2 Pages

They were counted in the census and the right to vote was given to the Indigenous was given to them by the Commonwealth in 1962 and by all States in 1965. Queensland was the last state to grant Abroginial people these rights. Secondly, the Mabo Decision was important

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853 Words | 4 Pages

It is very difficult for a successful referendum as of only 8 out of the 44 have been approved. At the end of the constitution it states that there can be an alteration only by the citizens of Australia. There is a four step process to reform the constitution. The first step is that the Australian citizens need to deliberate on the change. Next, the altered bill will be given to the Commonwealth Parliament for approval.

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One of the most important changes was the acceptance that Aboriginal People could be assimilated into ‘White’ culture. Although blatant racial discrimination was disappearing, systemic racial discrimination remained . ‘White’ culture was seen to be the quintessential ideal for Australian society with Aboriginal Australians seen to be unsophisticated and in need of industrialization

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1429 Words | 6 Pages

This ballot was called the Australian ballot. The Australian ballot was a ballot that was controlled and printed off by the state and sent out to the poll from there. This ballot made it hard for anyone, the black men and lower class white men, to vote correctly. If a male did not have the correct schooling in how to read or write then they more than likely would not have been able to vote during this time unless they took the understanding test. To take the understanding test you had to completely embarrass yourself and then you were present with a test that was noncommon knowledge questions that had nothing to do with voting.

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Introduction: A just society aims to epitomise equality for all individuals, yet, despite the introduction of the 1967 referendum which aimed to liberate Indigenous Australians in the face of the law, young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders continue to live in an inactive welfare economy where they face significant disadvantage and marginalisation, exacerbating their access to justice. In spite of numerous government initiatives to close the gap, today’s intergenerational effects of poverty and the loss of autonomy fuel Indigenous disadvantage, with young Indigenous Australians appearing marooned on a no-man’s land somewhere amid the modern mainstream and their traditional way of life (Mazel 2009). The following report will statistically

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510 Words | 3 Pages

Aboriginality in the 1900s was widely viewed as a socially primitive culture, whose behaviour was considered barbaric and therefore did not fit in with the values of ‘white Australia’ and ideals of the West about civility (Van Krieken 2000:247; Australian Human Rights Commission 1997). This resulted in the introduction of the NSW Aborigines Protection Board 1883 and the Aboriginal Protection Amending Act 1915 (NSW) that meant Australian government authorities had full control to attain legal guardianship of all Indigenous and half-caste children, to be ‘merged’ into the non-Indigenous population (Australian Human Rights Commission And Equal Opportunity Commission 1997). Conceptions by the State and church about civilisation warranted the intervention

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The Aborigines Protection Act of 1909 had numerous negative effects on the Aboriginal people. Some of them still affect them now, such as the trauma and long-term effects. The Aborigines Protection Act of 1909 should never have managed to pass because it was entirely based on racism and violated human rights. Europeans were extremely judgemental and racist.

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In Australia, Aboriginal people’s voting rights were given in 1962 by the commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 but whether they can vote

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With all of the new Chinese immigrants, and even immigrants from other countries, Australia had to make laws and rights available for them, such as being able to vote. By the end of 1901, voting rights were made possible for everyone, including the Chinese immigrants. COMMON WEALTH Today, “the Chinese community accounts for 1.2 million of Australia’s 25 million

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